For Jews, Tisha B'Av is a holiday in which prohibitions are usually observed. My family and I are not very religious but one thing that has stuck around is that we don't eat meat around the three weeks prior to Tisha B'Av.
One dish that I can remember my grandmother making is called Hlalem. This dish is my brother's favorite out of all the dishes my mother and her family makes.
The Hlalem is the chickpea and pasta stew that you see above, on the right side of the plate.
I remember my grandmother hand-rolling pieces of dough into a large strainer for a few days prior to making the Hlalem. She'd sit out on the balcony, overlooking beautiful Malha, a suburb of Jerusalem.
When it was time, the chickpeas would soak, then the stew would magically come together.
The closest western dish this resembles is refried beans with favas, chickpeas, and cavatelli. Stew that for a couple of hours with the right spice combo and it will be very close to my family's version of Hlalem!
Recipe is available upon demand!
(clearly these are leftovers as there's a nice lamb chop on my plate and meat isn't eaten during the Tisha B'Av period)
I remember my grandmother hand-rolling pieces of dough into a large strainer for a few days prior to making the Hlalem. She'd sit out on the balcony, overlooking beautiful Malha, a suburb of Jerusalem.
When it was time, the chickpeas would soak, then the stew would magically come together.
The closest western dish this resembles is refried beans with favas, chickpeas, and cavatelli. Stew that for a couple of hours with the right spice combo and it will be very close to my family's version of Hlalem!
Recipe is available upon demand!
(clearly these are leftovers as there's a nice lamb chop on my plate and meat isn't eaten during the Tisha B'Av period)
